 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionFriday, January 9, 2009  Deep Creek off the coast of South Africa (photo by Michelle Stillman)  Listen to us share this message on your audio player."One Thing I Do Know!" "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (John 9:25). What do you know today? Well, surely that varies. Some of you know a little about a lot of different subjects; others know a whole lot about a limited subject. Some know a lot about the personally inconsequential info such as the latest Hollywood gossip; others have attained knowledge of real value in helping people such as the skilled brain surgeon. I just hope we all have an experiential knowledge about the most important subject in life: our heart's condition with God and His remedy for that condition. John 9 records the miraculous healing of the man blind from birth. Although the account clearly deals with a literal physical healing it is very instructive in regard to the spiritual healing of salvation as well. Jesus had wondrously healed the man who then became the subject for various attacks against Christ. My, did the religious leaders pick this healing apart! What's the man's background? What was the cause of his blindness? Did he know the background of the one who healed him? Well, the formerly blind man knew the answers to some of these questions but to others he did not. Yet his response to the critical, negative religious leaders is so powerful: "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" This is experiential knowledge. He lived with the impaired physical condition of his life before the healing and he certainly knew its radically changed condition afterwards. Today attacks against our faith in Christ abound. This is especially true as we're seeing more and more intellectual attacks through the media outlets and academia: increasingly people of faith in Christ are portrayed as ignorant, old-fashioned, and downright naive. I'm reminded that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12,13). The attacks will also come to you personally as you live out your Christian experience. How vital it is to have a bedrock knowledge of the spiritual reality and assurance of our salvation. Much like a machine gun the devil barrages us with his bullets of fear, doubt, jealousy, strife and a host of other godless attitudes seeking to diminish our hope and lead our soul astray. In response to the enemy's attacks let us declare along with the healed blind man, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" John Newton, best known for writing "Amazing Grace", capsulized his salvation story just before he died with this declaration: "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things – that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour". Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. If we remember nothing more at the end of our lives than the redemptive spiritual truth that, "we are great sinners and that Christ is our great Saviour" we have remembered the most important truth of our human existence. It loosens the chains of sin in this life and is our key to life everlasting with our Great Savior in heaven. Be encouraged today Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, I thank You for the marvelous transaction that took place when You delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of Your Son in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. There is no earthly transaction that will ever bring about such a major change in my life or affect my future such as Your mighty deliverance. I was lost without hope, but now, because of Your transfer I am gloriously found and kept by Your grace. Praise be to Your name! Amen. Adapted from Colossians 1:13 Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources (Click on the link to open and play. In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.) "Amazing Grace" Video Chris Tomlin version used in the movie "Amazing Grace" "Amazing Grace" Video Wintley Phipps version with an interesting testimony. It ends with an absolutely astounding rendition of the familiar hymn! "Arms Of The Lord" Video We devote this song today to all who are facing uncertainties. Brooksyne recently heard it on our local Christian radio station and it really ministered to her spirit.  Today's photos were taken by our friends Mike and Michelle Stillman while on a trip to South Africa several years ago. Yesterday we shared a photo of a large boot in front of the L.L. Bean store in Freeport Maine. Ken Wish, a chaplain friend from Maine comments, "The boot has been there since the major remodeling of L.L. Bean in Freeport. It stands about 25-feet high and "graces" the front entrance to the store. In addition to the large boot outside the store, there is one that is pulled on a trailer. This mobile boot makes its appearance in most of the parades in the area. It is not quite as tall, but still makes quite the impression in the middle of a parade." (In our area Turkey Hill Dairy pulls a large cow on a trailer and parks it at places where there is a request due to special activity or celebration!) Now for some rather meaningless trivia that I find interesting: What does the L.L. stand for in L.L. Bean? Answer here and I will post with Monday's message. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 10/21/08  Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks! See here for details. (2008 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net through 12/31/08: $21,791.00) Note:Due to a posting delay in the report from my chaplaincy agency and several checks we received when we returned home from our trip last week this has continued to increase a bit. I expect to soon have the final accounting for 2008 contributions. Thank you! SUBSCRIPTION INFO  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed.Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address from the list immediately. To remove your address merely use the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass these messages on! "A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "A Little Foolishness" - A humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) I haven't had time or "inspiration" for this for awhile but it has several stories that get regular page views. "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. We are distributing this CD without charge in our ministry. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. If any reader in this series would like a CD merely write us and request one.  Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!Personal Mission Statement "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."  How to become a child of God Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. © Copyright 2009 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us |
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